Demi Lovato claims ‘patriarchy’ was holding them back from coming out as non-binary

"After years of living my life for other people, trying to make myself smaller for the patriarchy, they run the industry, they are at the centre of everything."

Demi Lovato has said that the patriarchy was stopping them from coming out as non-binary because it was putting them "in a box." Earlier in May, the singer came out as non-binary in a candid post on social media, and announced that they were changing their pronouns to they/them. Lovato explained that this decision best reflects the "fluidity I feel in my gender expression.' https://twitter.com/ddlovato/status/1394913210856185858 https://twitter.com/ddlovato/status/1394913215994155009 Now, in a new interview the 28-year-old has said that they felt the "patriarchy" had been holding them back in the past and forcing them to live in a way they weren't comfortable with. Speaking to acting legend Jane Fonda on her programme Fire Drill Fridays, Lovato said: "After years of living my life for other people, trying to make myself smaller for the patriarchy, they run the industry, they are at the centre of everything. "When I realised that, I thought, 'What are the ways that the patriarchy has been holding me back?' And for me, it was putting me in a box telling [me], 'You are a female, this is what you're supposed to like, this is what you’re supposed to do, don't dream bigger and don’t speak louder.'" https://twitter.com/FireDrillFriday/status/1398349855324508166 The former Disney star went on to encourage people to be more accepting and not to exclude others. Lovato said: "Remembering that even though we are individuals, we are one, and when we start excluding people, that’s when things get really hateful and dangerous." They first spoke about their sexuality and the decision to identify as non-binary on their podcast 4D with Demi Lovato, describing it as "freeing." Lovato said: "There might be a time where I wanna wear a full wig, there might be a time where I want to dress completely femme presenting. That doesn't mean that in that moment, I'm identifying as a woman, it just means that’s what I want to wear in that moment.

"I want people to understand that just because I'm non-binary, doesn’t mean I'm not going to dress the way I want."